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Sunday, July 17, 2016

Erdogan promised to bring true democracy to Turkey. Instead, he’s held it hostage

Elmira Bayrasli
July 17, 2016

Military men with guns are one of my earliest memories of Turkey. I had come to the country from New York City as an 8-year old in 1979. The country was undergoing a period of tremendous violence. To “protect” the country, the military flexed its muscle. It marched through the streets and imposed martial law. A year later the military seized power, as it had twice before in 1960 and 1971, replacing the democratically elected leader of the country and scrapping the Turkish constitution.